Traditional Chinese“Little New Year”festival=the Festival of the Kitchen God1.Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God 祭祀灶神祭祀灶神 In one of the most distinctive traditions of Spring Festival,a paper image of the Kitchen God is burnt on Little New Year,dispatching（派遣）the gods spirit（神的灵）to Heaven to report on the familys conduct over the past year.（烧掉旧的灶王像，送灶王上天）Little New Year,which falls about a week before the lunar New Year,is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God,the deity（神）who oversees the moral character of each household.The Kitchen God is then weled back by pasting a new paper image of him beside the stove.From this vantage point（从这个有利位置）,the Kitchen God will oversee and protect the household for another year.The close association of the Kitchen God with the Lunar New Year has resulted in Kitchen God Festival being called Little New Year.Although very few families still make offerings to the Kitchen God on this day,many traditional holiday activities are still very popular.Studies of popular Chinese religion indicate that the Kitchen God did not appear until after the invention of the brick cooking stove.The cooking stove was a fairly late development in the history of human civilization.Ancient writings indicate that the Fire God,the earliest form of the Kitchen God,was worshipped long before the stove was invented.Zhu Rong,Chinas ancient Fire God was a popular folk deity and had many temples built in his honor.Stone lined firepits,an early form of the brick stove,are still commonly used among Chinas ethnic minorities.People in these regions make offerings to the Firepit God.The Firepit God appeared between the Kitchen God and the Fire God in the history of Chinese folk deities.The Kitchen God appeared soon after the invention of the brick stove.The Kitchen God was originally believed to reside in the stove,and only later took on human form.The offerings to the Kitchen God are sweets of various varieties.It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen Gods mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report.2.House cleaning 扫尘扫尘/Sweeping the Dust Little New Year,on the twenty-third day,families in China undertake a thorough house cleaning,sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.Sweeping the Dust shows the good wish of putting away old things and welcoming a new life,making everything look fresh in the new year.3.写春联 Writing Spring Festival Scrolls/Couplets During the Little New Year,people write Spring Festival scrolls,which are made up of the left scroll,the right scroll,and the top scroll.4.Pasting paper-cuts to windows 贴窗花贴窗花 The paper-cut for windowdecoration is one of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year in China.There are various kinds of paper-cuts,including animals and plants and so on.5.Eating Guandong candy 吃关东糖吃关东糖 Guandong candy is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festivel of the Kitchen God.People will melt Guandong candy and apply it on the Kitchen Gods mouth,wishing the Kitchen God will say somethng nice to the Jade Emperor instead of speaking ill of the household.6.Having a bath and hair-cut 沐浴和理发沐浴和理发 As the old Chinese saying goes,whether theyre rich or poor,people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival.The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year to meet the New Years arrival.7.办年货办年货 Preparations for Spring Festival People start to stock up necessary provisionsfor the Spring Festival since the Little New Year.Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors,entertain guests,and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.Before setting out to the market,a Spring Festival shopping list must be made,including items such as meat,poultry and eggs,fruit and vegetables,rice and flour,alcohol,sugar,and tea,red paper,and the Kitchen God.Incense（熏香）and candles,snacks,new calendars,and toys must also be purchased.Not to be forgotten are new clothes for children to welcome in the New Year.Exercises 1D 2C 3D 4B5which 6the7fixed 8customs 9celebration 10to 11offering 12mainly 13to spend 14expresses